Obituary of Erin Falconer Cullen

Erin F. Cullen, 34, formerly of Reston, Virginia, died suddenly on May 5 at her home in Columbia, Maryland. At the time of her death, she was a Senior Technical Trainer at ManTech International Corporation in Chantilly, Virginia. Born Erin Elizabeth Falconer on August 16, 1980, she is survived by her parents, Phillip and Jane Falconer, and a brother, Trevor, of Glenville; her aunt, Donna Weidenfeller, of San Francisco; and her beloved black lab, Sierra. Erin was a member of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School Class of 1998. She attended Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated Cum Laude in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. She completed her graduate education at George Washington University in Washington DC, receiving a Master of Forensic Science degree with a Crime Scene Investigation concentration in 2005. While Erin's professional career began in 2005 as a Medico-Legal Death Investigator with the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, she crossed over into the fields of security analysis, cyber exercise planning, and technical training in 2009, working for various federal contractors in the Greater Washington, DC area. Erin was a gentle soul with varied interests. In her younger years, she was an accomplished dancer with the Braemar Highland Dancers. She later participated in mission trips with the First Reformed Church of Schenectady (NY), helping to feed and build homes for the residents of rural villages in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as in the U.S. Mexico Border Region. She loved animals, and volunteered at the Fairfax County (VA) animal shelter. And in more recent times, Erin looked forward to weekends at the Fabbioli Cellar in Leesburg (VA), where she was a wine educator in their tasting room. A memorial service is planned for May 23 at 2 PM, to be held at Adams-Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden St in Herndon, VA. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Erin may make wish to make a donation to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, 4500 West Ox Rd, Fairfax, Virginia 22030.